BEIJING: (APP) Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a ‘historic meeting’ on Sunday to discuss global and bilateral issues.
The announcement came through Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s official Twitter handle, where he reported that after his meeting with President Xi, the premier will depart for Islamabad.
PM Imran met President Xi at the Great Hall of People in Beijing. This was the first meeting of the two leaders since the premier’s visit to China in October 2019.
The two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
PM Imran congratulated the leadership and people of China on the successful hosting of the 24th Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and extended his best wishes on the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The premier underscored that China was Pakistan’s steadfast partner, a staunch supporter and Iron Brother.
He emphasised that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China had withstood the tests of times and the two nations firmly stood side-by-side in realising their visions and shared aspirations of peace, stability, development and prosperity.
Socio-economic development and CPEC
PM Imran briefed President Xi on the people-centered geo-economics vision and the government’s policies for Pakistan’s sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernisation and regional connectivity.
He also lauded China’s continued support and assistance to Pakistan’s socio-economic development, which had greatly benefitted from the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The premier welcomed increased Chinese investments in CPEC’s Phase-II, which centered on industrialisation and improving people’s livelihoods.
During the meeting, the PM also shared his views with the Chinese president on growing polarisation in the world, which threatened unraveling of global developmental gains and posed serious risks to the developing countries.
He highlighted that insurmountable challenges like climate change, health pandemics and growing inequalities could only be tackled through unqualified cooperation of all nations in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
In this regard, PM Imran lauded President Xi’s visionary Belt and Road and Global Development Initiatives, which called for collective action for sustainable development and win-win outcomes.
‘Indian atrocities threat to global peace’
The prime minister highlighted that atrocities being perpetrated in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the persecution of minorities in India in advancing the Hindutva mindset of RSS-BJP, was a threat to regional peace and stability.
He added that rapid militarisation of India was undermining regional stability.
PM Imran underlined that the partnership between Pakistan and China was an anchor for peace and stability in the region, and thanked China for its unwavering support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national development.
The premier also reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support to China on all issues of its core interest.
Afghanistan humanitarian crisis
Both leaders acknowledged that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will promote economic development and connectivity in the region and called on the international community to promptly assist the Afghan people in averting a humanitarian catastrophe.